JUBA — Fighting resumed in South Sudan after rebel forces attacked the capital of the oil-producing state of Upper Nile, a military official said Tuesday.



Fighting broke out early Tuesday in Malakal, which once was in rebel hands but is now controlled by government troops, said South Sudanese military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer. “We were expecting it because the rebel commander in the area said he would not respect a ceasefire,” he said.



Although the country’s warring factions signed a ceasefire on Jan. 23, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating that agreement. The international community has repeatedly urged both sides to respect the ceasefire.



Toby Lanzer, the UN’s top humanitarian official in South Sudan, said on Twitter Tuesday that all groups “engaged in the violence must uphold people’s rights and protect non-combatants.” — AP